The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a telegram of condolence to Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela, for the death yesterday at the age of 85 of the Venezuelan Cardinal Rosalio Jose Castillo Lara S.D.B., president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

In the telegram, the Holy Father expresses his "heartfelt condolences" to Cardinal Urosa Savino, to the relatives of the deceased and to all the Venezuelan people, entrusting to the mercy of God "this zealous pastor who served the Church with such charity."

The Pope's telegram continues: "Cardinal Castillo Lara's generous and intense ministry, first as coadjutor bishop of Trujillo" and later in the various posts he occupied in the Roman Curia, last of which was that of the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, "testifies to his great dedication to the cause of the Gospel, at the same time demonstrating his profound love for the Church."TGR/DEATH CASTILLO LARA/UROSA VIS 20071017 (180)

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, the Holy Father announced the names of 23 prelates who will be created cardinals in a consistory due to be held on November 24, the eve of the Feast of Christ the King. The consistory will be the second of his pontificate.

Following the November 24 concistory, the College of Cardinals will number 202 members of whom 121, under the age of 80, will be electors.

Given below is a list of the new cardinal electors:

- Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

- Archbishop John Patrick Foley, pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

- Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

- Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum."

- Archbishop Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's.

- Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Having pronounced the names of the new cardinal electors, the Pope then indicated that he had also decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal "three venerable prelates and two worthy priests," all over the age of 80 and hence non-electors, for their "commitment and service to the Church." Their names are:

- His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq.

He added: "Among these, I had also intended to confer the dignity of cardinal upon the elderly Bishop Ignacy Jez of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg, Poland, a worthy prelate who died suddenly yesterday. We offer a prayer for the repose of his soul."

"The new cardinals come from various parts of the world," said the Holy Father. "And the universality of the Church, with the multiplicity of her ministries, is clearly reflected in them. Alongside deserving prelates who work for the Holy See are pastors who dedicate their energies to direct contact with the faithful."

He went on: "There are other persons, very dear to me who, for their dedication to the service of the Church, well deserve promotion to the dignity of cardinal. In the future I hope to have the opportunity to express, also in this way, my esteem and affection to them and to their countries of origin."

Benedict entrusted the future cardinals "to the protection of Mary Most Holy asking her to help each of them in their new tasks, that they may know how to bear courageous witness in all circumstances to their love for Christ and for the Church."AG/CONSISTORY CARDINALS/... VIS 20071017 (600)

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience which was celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled the fact that today marks the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty," an annual event recognized by the United Nations.

Certain peoples, said the Holy Father, "still live in conditions of extreme poverty. The disparity between rich and poor has become more evident and more disturbing, even within the most economically advanced nations. This worrying situation appeals to the conscience of mankind because the conditions being suffered by such a large number of people are such as to offend the dignity of human beings and, as a consequence, to compromise the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community. I encourage, then, an increase in efforts to eliminate the causes of poverty and the tragic consequences deriving from it."AG/APPEAL ERADICATION POVERTY/... VIS 20071017 (160)

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2007 (VIS) - St. Eusebius of Vercelli was the subject of Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 30,000 people.

The saint, born in Sardinia at the beginning of the 4th century and educated in Rome, was elected as bishop of Vercelli in the year 345. He showed great commitment and dedication in evangelizing largely-pagan rural areas and founded a priestly community - inspired by the model of the early monastic communities - from which many bishops and saints arose.

The Pope explained how St. Eusebius was "solidly formed in the Nicene Creed, in the faith in the Trinitarian God." He defended the "full divinity of Jesus Christ" against the pro-Arian politics of the Emperor Constantius for whom Arianism "was more politically useful." This led to the saint being exiled, first in Palestine and later in Cappodocia and Thebaid.

Despite his exile, the bishop maintained a correspondence with his own community of faithful, said the Holy Father, "asking them in his letters also to greet those who are outside the Church yet who nonetheless ... nourish sentiments of love for us." The Pope added: "It is evident that the bishop's relationship with his city was not limited to the Christians but that it also extended to the people who, ... in some way, recognized his spiritual authority and loved this exemplary man."

When Constantius was succeeded as emperor by Julian the Apostate, Eusebius was able to return home. There he educated the clergy of his diocese in "the observance of monastic rules even though they lived in the city" because he felt that "the bishop and clergy had to share the problems of citizens in a credible way" at the same time cultivating "a different citizenship, that of heaven." In this manner, said Benedict XVI, they created "a shared solidarity."

"The pastor and the faithful of the Church are in the world but they are not of the world," said the Pope. "For this reason pastors must exhort the faithful not to consider the cities of the world as their stable home, but to seek the ... definitive celestial Jerusalem. ... This decision enables pastors and faithful to safeguard a correct scale of values without bowing before the fashions of the moment and the unjust impositions of political power."

"The authentic scale of values," the Holy Father concluded, "does not come from yesterday's emperor, or from today's, but from Jesus Christ, the perfect man, equal to the Father in divinity and a man like us. For this reason, Eusebius recommends the faithful always 'to protect the faith with care, to maintain harmony and to be assiduous in prayer.' From the bottom of my heart, I also recommend these perennial values to you."AG/EUSEBIUS OF VERCELLI/... VIS 20071017 (480)